Process for the production of a cooked and puffed wheat product



'tofore.

Patented Aug. 4, 1942 John L. Kellen. 1h, deceased, late of Chicago, m., by Mary M. Kellogg, administratrix, Wilmette, 111;, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Helen L.

Kellogg, Chicago, Ill.

No Drawing. Application February 6,1939, I Serial No. 254 ,8 82

. 1 Claims. (or. 99-82) This invention relates to the production of cooked and puffed cereal products, "more particulariy -to cooked and puifed wheat; and the primary objects of the invention are to. provide an improved ready-to-eat cereal product I made from wheat and a new and improved proces of making such products; although thejinvention, in its broader aspects, is applicable to cereals generally and is so claimed herein;

In particular, the voids or cells in the pulled wheat grains are larger,'the cell'walls are thicker, and the product is more crisp and palatable and less pithy than puffed wheat as made here- The product, according to this invention, is quite thoroughly cooked before it is subjected to a gun putting operation. It is, therefore, essentialhr a cooked product in which'the starches and proteins are modified. =The pufied wheat on the market is essentially a raw product, the

starches and proteins being very little modified,

in the sense of being cooked at least, by the brief contact with high temperature steam incident to the gun pufllng operation.

The following are specific -examples of a preferred process of treating wheat in accordance with the present invention:

Example 1 (a) The wheat is cooked, preferably under pressure, with an adequate amount of water and for a long. enough time to thoroughly soften the kernels and give them a cooked consistency. For example 100 pounds of white wheat is cooked with 2% gallons. of water under 18 pounds steam pressureforabout 1 hour. 1 Y

(b) The cooked material is removed from the cooker andfthe hot steam separated therefromby a suitable operation which coolsthe material.

If the material is too wet for carrying out the next step of the process, itwill be partially dried. This intermediate drying step' will depend, naturally, upon the'amount '0! water grainshould some flaked in the sense that wheat kernels are flaked in the making of wheat flakes. The deformation is slight but suilicient,

inthe cooked condition of the grain, to change the internal structure ofthe grain for the production of the large voids and other. characteristics, as above described, of the desired product. Instead of passing the grain throughflaking mus, th'e'wheatf kernels may be given the necused in the cooking step, either as water added,

to the grain in the first instance, or as condensation incident to' the steam cooking. How-' ever, the wheat because of its bran husk can be dried at-a higher moisture content'than corn grits or rice.

(d) The cooked, and if need be, partially dried :wheat is then treated'in a suitable man-- ner for displacing the starch cells. This operation can be performed in a flaking mill but with the rolls set apart far enough so that the grain is flattened only slightly, if at all. That is, the

essary impact by other means For example, it

may be shotor otherwise made to'impinge with considerable force against a steel plate; or it may be put intosacks and thesacks dropped froma considerablealtitude. By any of these processes a slippage takes place as between the starch cells which makes the grain particularly susceptible to the gun pufilng operation whichfollows. The modification of the internal structure of the kernels which results from the impact, or" pressure between rolls, or otherwise, leaves the kernels in very different condition from'the'condition which would result from rolling'them'out' into thin flakes. Thin flakes would not be suitable for'gim-pu'mng in accordance with the present invention ('e) The next step is to dry the material to a suitable moisture content for gun pufjlingii a proper moisture content is 9%- 10%which, however, may be varied to'some extent."

pered for several hours, 6 hours, for errample, by allowing the material to stand in bins;- the purpose of the tempering operation being to insure relatively uniform moisturecontent throughout the mass.

' (a) The wheat is then 'puiIed in a pufling gun under usualconditions and by the-'use of any suitable type oi'gun." The gun may be externally heated; or the material may beheated by in-,

troduction of high-pressure steam into thegun; or both expedients may be used. The usual steam pressure is developed, say 190-200 pounds per square inch. After pufling, if desired,thepufied material-may be furtherdried. Example (a) 100 pounds of wheat. cooked with} gallons of water at a steam pressure, in a rotary c'ooker,of 15 to 25 pounds per square inch for 40 to minutes, preferably about 55.minutes,

until all ofthe water has been absorbed, thematerial thoroughl softened and some modification 1 brought about in the internal cellular structure of the grain involving probably some dextrinization of the starch.

(,f) The dried'material is then, preferably; tein- 1 (c) The cookedwheat is then subjected to pressure, impact, or other mechanically applied force suflicient to bring about displacement of the starch cells as .described in Example 1.

(11) The material is then dried by any suitable means to a moisture content between 9%.and 15%. preferably 12%. i

(e) The partially dried material is then tempered for a period of 12 to hours, preferably 24 hours, to insure relatively uniform distribution of moisture throughout the material.

(I) air-tigh pufllng apparatus or gun which'consists of a rotatable cylinder permanently closed at one end and having an air-tight cover at the other end, together with means for. heating the cylinder to create an internal steam pressure by vaporization of moisture in the grain. Water or steam may be introduced into the gun f if desired, as indicated in Example 1. The gun after being filled to about one-third capacity is rotated and heated until there. is developed an internal pressure from 150 to 225 pounds per square inch, a preferred pressure being 200 pounds per square inch. The heat is applied gradually so that the desired presure is reached in from 5 to 15 minutes; the best results being obtained, according to experience, if the temperature is controlled so that the pressure of 200 pounds is reached in approximately 7 minutes and this pressure then held for 2 minutes thereafter. The'cover of the gun is then removed andfas a result of the sudden reduction of the pressure in the gun'. the

wheat undergoes an explosive expansion or puffing. The moisture content of the pufled materialas it comes from the gun will be ordinarily between 5% and 8%, usually about 6%. I

The grain may be flavored withsalt, sugaror malt, for example, either during the cooking operation or after pufllng, and before the flnal drying or before a toasting operation.

(a) The puffed material is preferably dried to 127,672, flled February 25, 1937, to: Pufled cereal product and process of making same. (Patented January 13, 1942, as No. 2,269,536.)

drying thematerial; tempering it byallowing the material to stand until the moisture content is substantially equalized; and explosively pulling the dried and tempered material.

2. Process of producing a pufl'ed and ready-to. eat cereal product which comprises: cooking the cereal with water; drying it; subjecting it to mee material is then introduced into material.

chanical pressure to alter the internal structure of the grain without reducing it to a flaked condition; drying the material again; tempering it by allowing the material to stand until the moisture content is substantially equalized; and explosively pufllng the dried and tempered material. 1

3. Process of producing a .cooked' and puffed cereal product which comprises: cooking thegcereal with water; subjecting it to mechanical pressurev to alter the internal structure of the grain without reducing it to aflaked condition: drying the material to water content suitable for gun-pumng; and explosively putting the dried .4. Process of producing a cooked and pufled cereal product whichcomprises: cooking the cereal with water; subjecting it to mechanical pressure to alter the internal structure oi the grain without reducing it to a flaked condition;

drying the material to a moisture content of -9%-15%; and explosively pufling the dried material. i

' 5. Process ofproducing acooked and pulled wheat product which comprises: cooking the wheat with water; subjecting the cooked maa moisture content of 3%-4% in order to increase is crispness and keeping qualities.

The term mechanical pressure used herein to describe the step following the cooking and partial drying is intended to cover impact,

jarring, or other similar application of mechanical force as well as a pressure between rolls sufflcient to compress or slightly flatten the grains without, however, reducing them to a flake-like condition. v v

The term explosively pilfilng, as used herein,

is intended to mean the sort of instantaneous puillng accomplished, for example, by thegun method, as above described, or other method giving an explosive action due to'sudden reduction of the high pressure surrounding the wheat kernels in contra-distinction to the comparative terial to mechanical pressure which modiflesthe internal structure of the grain without reducing it to -a flaked condition; drying thewhea't to a watercontent suitable for explosive pufllngf-and thereafter explosively the material.

6. Process of producing a cooked and puffed wheat product which comprises: cooking the wheat for about 1 hour at about 18 pounds steam pressure with water in the proportion of 2% gallons to. pounds of wheat; removing the material from the ,cooker and separating the hot steam from the material; subjecting the material to mechanical pressure toalter the internal structure of the grainwithout reducing it to aflaked condition; drying the material down to material.

, about 9%-10% moisture: and thereafter explosively pulling the material.

7. Process of producing a cooked and'pufled wheat product which comprises: cooking the wheatin water: partially drying the materialj subjecting the material to mechanical ,pressure to alter the internal structure of the grain with-- out reducing it to a flaked condition;- "drying the material to a suitablewater content for explosive pumng; and therearter explosively p'uiiing the Administratrix o! the Estate 0/ John L. Kellogg,

(n, deceased. T t 

